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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-06-24 Bd Comm minutesApproved MINUTES IOWA CITY HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2003 - 7:00 PM CITY MANAGER'S CONFERENCE ROOM Members Present: Richard Cadson, James Enloe, Michael Gunn, Michael Maharry, Mark McCullum, Jim Ponto, Amy Smothers, Tim Weitzel Members Absent: Paul Sueppel Staff Present: Shelley McCafferty Others Present: Marcia Klingaman, Connie Webb, Shelley Brighi CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Maharry called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA None. Maharry mentioned the third reading of the College Hill Conservation District was Tuesday evening at the City Council meeting and the vote was unanimous, 6-0, with Vanderhoef abstaining due to a conflict of interest. CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS 1) 732 Rundell Street McCafferty said this is an application for a certificate of appropriateness for a Moffitt house, in the Longfellow District. The applicant, Marcia Klingaman, is proposing to add a deck onto the rear of the home. The proposed deck will cover and slightly extend beyond an existing concrete pad. There are pictures included in the commission member's agenda packet that detail the area where the deck is to be constructed. Klingaman explained and McCafferty clarified that the deck would run up to a current chain link fence that will be removed and the new guardrail on the deck would replace the fence and would also replicate the existing railing on the home. Enloe questioned if there is a set back requirement for decks. McCafferty replied the plans have been approved by Housing Inspection Services and are now awaiting approval of the Commission. Carlson noted they have yet to come up with deck guidelines, and feels they are acting in the dark with this subject. There are guidelines for porches and new additions but these do not really apply. The only guideline that would seemingly be appropriate is the Secretary of Interior Standard number 9 that states "new additions and exterior alterations or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing size, scale and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment". Carlson stated the deck would not destroy any historical materials but questioned if it is compatible with the existing structure in size and scale. Historically, the idea of decks did not exist; homes had covered porches, so the issue of decks will warrant further discussion when the Commission addresses deck guidelines. Carlson asked what the finish of the deck would be when completed. Klingaman responded the deck would most likely be stained. Enloe stated his major concern is the visibility of the deck from the street. In the past, individuals have been required to in-set an addition as to not change the street view. McCafferty noted the guidelines of the Secretary of Interior standards concerning entrances and porches. This guideline states when designing or installing additional entrances or porches it should be in a manor that preserves the historic character of the building, i.e.: limiting such alterations to non-character defining elevations. Enloe said he thought the deck would be a character defining elevation as it could be seen from the street. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes May 22, 2003 Page 2 Gunn said the guideline was clearly written for front porches and the deck, especially if unpainted, would be inappropriate if on the front of the house. This is a rear deck and is unsure of what to do. McCafferty stated the deck is only 10 inches off of the ground and the wooden railing will be replacing the chain link fence and would be more appropriate and typical of the era. McCallum noted the rail would look like a wooden fence if painted. Klingaman said painting is an option, but maintenance is a concern. It was also noted that the wood would need to dry out and be left untreated a year before being painted, and stain can be applied immediately. MOTION: Smothers moved to approve the certificate of appropriateness for the addition of a deck to the rear of a house at 732 Rundell Street. McCullum seconded the motion. DISCUSSION: Maharry asked if the deck/railing adds to the character of the neighborhood if left in an unpainted state. The commission informarly discussed the paint vs. stain issue and agreed that either would be preferable to untreated. AMENDED MOTION: Smothers moved to approve the certificate of appropriateness for the addition of a deck to a house at 732 Rundell Street subject to the baluster and handrail being either painted or stained. Enloe seconded the motion. All in favor, motion passed 8-0. 2) 52{) Grant Street McCafferty stated this is an application that the commission has reviewed previously and denied. The project came to her via the contractor and building department. The contractor applied for a building permit to enclose a sun porch that currently has removable storm windows/screens system that acts as a three-season porch. The proposal that was denied was to remove all screens and add three double-hung windows on two sides of the porch and to add siding to the porch. The contractor's argument was that the proposed remodel looks more tike the house than the current sun porch. McCafferty has had telephone conversations with the homeowners, Connie Webb and Shelley Brighi. They stated they want to alter the porch for ease of not having to change the windows/screens seasonally, to increase insulation, to add privacy and to make the space more functional all year round. Maharry asked if the porch was original to the house. The homeowners believe it to be an addition made sometime soon after the home was built in 1949. The homeowners arso stated they do not wish to restore the porch but remodel it to become a more useable space and still preserve the feel and history of the house. Smothers explained why she denied the original application. She said she sees the porch as a sun porch and they would be altering the fenestration, the opening of the windows, and changing the elevation on three sides. This is very dramatic and changing the character of the home. The owners said they thought by maintaining the same roof, siding and windows as the rest of the house, they would be increasing the home aesthetically and pull the look together. McCaffedy explained the commission uses the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines. She referred to what the guidelines say and recommend concerning windows, specifically the changing and altering of windows. These guidelines do not recommend "Removing or radically changing windows which are important in defining the overall historic character of the building so that, as a result, the character is diminished,;" and "Changing the number, location, size or glazing pattern of windows through cutting new openings, blocking-in windows, and installing replacement sash which does not fit the historic window opening." The homeowners stated they are looking for options and suggestions as to how to make their plan work. Maharry noted many sun porches use casement style windows, which appears to be the style of window opening currently on the sun porch. McCafferty drew a quick sketch overlay to demonstrate what casement windows would look like instead of the proposed double hung windows. Gunn commented the issue is historical correctness, the proposed drawing still alters the home and they need to stick to the guidelines. Enloe stated a compromise could be reached. The homeowners would need to use the same size windows, sills etc, the process would probably be more expensive but it would allow the porch to be Historic Preservation Commission Minutes May 22, 2003 Page 3 livable. McCafferty noted that by using some fixed windows and some operational, the cost could be reduced. Smothers said air conditioning and heat could be added fairly easily through the floor of the porch. McCafferty summarized the homeowner's options. They could talk to their contractor and come up with something similar to the sketch that keeps the original character of the porch. Or, they could submit the proposal as it is currently, the commission would deny it, but they could appeal this decision to the City Council. The homeowners asked for names of local architects. McCafferty said she knows of several individuals and to please call and she will provide the names. The homeowners also asked what the benefit would be if another architect provides a proposal and the commission would not approve that proposal either. Maharry said this new proposal would really be somewhat of a compromise and twisting the interpretation of the guidelines, but it is still much better than the original submission. He also said that unfortunately, the commission is bound by the guidelines and they do not get to change the rules on request of a homeowner. Webb and Brighi questioned if property owners are usually notified when their proposal is up for discussion, they would have been to the previous meeting had they known. McCafferty answered that either the contractor; homeowner or both are involved in the process. This particular case was different, McCafferty incorrectly assumed the contractor was in contact with the homeowners, as is typically the case when the contractor submits the application. She has taken measures with H.I.S. to keep this from happening again, revised the application, and apologized to Webb and Brighi. Gunn asked if the commission is going to vote on the sketch concept by McCafferty and is this truly an option for the homeowners. Enloe asked if the windows are really windows or storm windows. His feeling is that they are storm windows. The difference being if the storm window is taken out, there is not a window behind it, just an opening in the wall. Storm windows are not permanently affixed. Gunn noted there is nothing in the guidelines about keeping storm windows in place. Enloe and Gunn said if windows are to be installed they should be the size and dimension of the original openings of the storm windows and replicate what is currently there, adhering to the guidelines to keep the look or character the same. MOTION: Gunn moved, in order to give the applicant an option, to approve a concept similar to what McCafferty has sketched, with the original storm window dimensions. Enloe seconded the motion. DISCUSSION: Carlson asked if this meets porch guidelines. Enloe and Carlson noted there is nothing disallowed in the current guidelines. Carlson questioned if the window type should be defined. Enloe thought casement would be the most appropriate because they look the most historically correct. VOTE: All in favor, motion carried 8-0. GOOSETOWN AND NORTHSIDE DISTRICT RECOMMENDATIONS McCafferty referred to the additional maps included in the commission member's agenda booklet. She explained 2 new maps have been discovered in a computer file. They are similar, both from December 2000, and the solid areas on the map are definitive recommendations, and the crosshatch areas are to be evaluated for potential conservation districts. What makes this map unique is that it includes all of the original town plat and consolidates it into a single recommendation. Maharry asked who completed the maps and recommendations. McCafferty responded Mar[ys Svensen had done much of the survey work. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes May 22, 2003 Page 4 Gunn added there were several drafts of the map and several neighborhood meetings questioning the boundaries. Svenson had revised the map and Gunn noted he has a 5-page letter that corresponds with the map. Maharry noted that at the Friends of the Historical Preservation meeting, it was recommended they gather a petition for people living in the district to sign if they are in support of the Goosetown Conservation District. He suggested the Commission proceed at the next meeting in response to their actions. McCallum agreed and said he thought that was the right thing to do. McCafferty reminded everyone she will have the Requests for Proposals going out this next week and Marlys will be looking at the area again and doing the National Register. HISTORIC PRESERVATION HANDBOOK REVISIONS McCafferty gave background information on the revisions. · The Central Planning District Guidelines they will probably be significantly revised as the ordinance is completed. EG: if a specific architectural style is required, they can provide instruction as to how to apply an architectural style to a multi family building. · She asked any grammatical/spelling errors be noted and turned in as soon as possible. · Also incorporated are maps of districts and neighborhoods. · As the actual guidelines are written, several new things need to be considered. Decks, patios, site and fence issues are topics the commission will need to discuss. Also, curb cuts will be regulated in the future. · The legal department has raised an issue. A historical district is specifically enabled through state legislation, and the state legislation tells what the criteria are for a district. The concern is if there is not distinct variation how a conservation and historic district is regulated, the City could be perceived as circumventing compliance with the state regulations, which are very specific. Therefore, they need to look at how the conservation districts have worked and if indeed they are distinct. Maharry questioned if the guidelines need to be different. He stated the whole difference between a historic and a conservation district is the historic context. The goal of the conservation district is to conserve those structures. They are still trying to preserve the nature of the neighborhoods even though the groups of houses don't have a historic context. McCafferty said it's the guidelines that need to be looked at to ensure that there is more flexibility in a conservation district than there is in a historic district. Commission individuals voiced thoughts that this flexibility already exists. McCafferty clarified what the commission might need to do is communicate the intent of the Conservation District guidelines and specifically the flexibility of the guidelines concerning non-contributing structures in a Conservation District. Gunn noted the chart clarifies the differences between the districts and which guidelines are applicable. McCafferty said the information needs to be more consistent, flow more smoothly and easier for the average citizen to read and understand. Gunn said the document is becoming more useful, but most of the time only 12 pages are used, and perhaps this needs to be explained to the council. Maharry agreed and added the document should be more concise. McCafferty said the document is a work in progress and it should funnel the reader down to the actual guidelines after reviewing preservation, what and where the districts are, the design review process, etc., with a glossary added as an appendix. Gunn noted one change omitted from the new document is on page 14, the 3rd point concerning existing masonry, the term hardness should be removed. Gunn pointed out that hard mortar and soft brick is not a good combination. McCafferty said she would have a revised initial section of the guidelines for the next meeting. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes May 22, 2003 Page 5 WEBSITE McCafferty commented that more information concerning the Historic and Conservation Districts is becoming available on the City's website. She is currently working to provide more information for the website to answer anyone's questions. APPROVAL OF MAY 8~ 2003 MINUTES Maharry noted several corrections to the minutes: · The 4th paragraph of public discussion, 3'd sentence, it should read "Maharry pointed out that the house at 512 Church Street was thought of being in Goosetown, but the map shows it as being part of the North Side". · The last sentence of the first paragraph of Certificate of Appropriateness should read, "Maharry said he wanted to point out that this was not a potential quid pro quo situation". · On page 2, the 2nd paragraph below the motion, it should read, "Maharry suggested that the reason many Commission decisions are unanimous is because the Commission works to formulate a motion that will be satisfactory to all". · On page 4 the acronym for SSMID, not SCHMID is Self-Supporting Municipal Improvement District. Motion: Weitzel moved to accept the minutes of May 8, 2003 with the mentioned changes. Carlson seconded the motion. All in favor, motion passed 8-0. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Gunn moved to adjourn the meeting. Enloe seconded the meeting. Ail in favor, motion passed 8-0. The meeting was adjourned at 9:14 PM. FINAL/APPROVED MINUTES IOWA CITY HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM 410 E. Washington St. April 22, 2003 MEMBERS PRESENT: Lisa Beckmann, Rick Spooner, Keri Neblett, David Shorr, Alice Mathis MEMBERS ABSENT: Nick Klenske, Billie Townsend, Paul Retish, Bob Peffer STAFF MEMBERS: Heather Shank 1. CALL TO ORDER: Meeting called to order at 7:23 p.m. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Beckmann asked for approval of or any changes in the minutes from the Mamh meeting. Since Mathis was unable to attend the last meeting, she asked Beckmann the identity of the sponsor for the film, Discovering Dominga. Shank reported that the Commission was a sponsor, in addition to the University of Iowa Human Rights Center and others, including but not limited to, the Coralville Public Library and the Iowa City Public Library. Shank further added that the University of Iowa Human Rights Center organized the event. Mathis asked for clarification about the youth awards discussed at the previous meeting as well as the survey. Beckmann explained that youth human rights awards was her idea from last fall. Beckmann stated that she brought it up again and would like it to be discussed this month. Mathis asked if she could get a copy of the survey. Shank said she would provide her with a copy. Mathis further asked about the four focal points that were addressed in the survey. Beckmann explained that it was those areas that she thought needed attention. Shank added that we are going to use these areas for educational purposes. Beckmann reviewed discussions from last month for the benefit of those that were absent. Motion to approve minutes by Shorr and seconded by Mathis. Motion: Minutes unanimously approved. 3. RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: None 4. NEW BUSINESS: Shank announced that the revised ordinance would be included in the next Commission packet. The ordinance will be added as a separate agenda item and discussed at the next meeting. She stated that the Commissioners should read the ordinance before the meeting and come ready to discuss it. 5. OLD BUSINESS: Reports of co-sponsored events attended by Commissioners - AIDS program, Building Blocks to Employment: Beckmann asked which Commissioner attended the AIDS program? Neblett said she was supposed to but she could not attend and she was unsure if Klenske attended or not. Building Blocks to Employment event: Shorr reported that it was excellent. The turnout was Iow but there was a lot of interest in doing it again. Beckmann thought that setting the program up at the individual Neighbor Centers would result in better participation. Shank said that people enjoyed it and those in attendance found it useful. Discovering Dominga-April 23-7:00 Illinois Rm. IMU- Shank will attend. Breakfast: Beckmann reported that since the Commission's first choice for speaker would not be available on the date of the breakfast, University of Iowa President David Skorton was contacted and he has accepted. The date of the breakfast is September 25th, Beckmann indicated she would send Skorton a thank you letter and ask him to provide a title for his speech and get it to Shank for advertisements. Beckmann stated that the breakfast will start promptly at 7:30 and that all members are expected to attend. Nomination forms-posting notices: Shank asked if the Commissioners wanted the nomination forms emailed to them? There are five awards in all. She added that past winners should not be nominated again and that the forms are available on the web site. Beckmann asked Shank to update the web site to include Dr. Skorton as the speaker. Shank explained about the forms of advertisement. Beckmann would like to see more advertising on the radio. Shank said that stations generally do not announce the need for nominations. Mathis said that KRUI, 89.7 would advertise on the radio since she is one of their DJ's, so she will make the announcement. Mathis stated that it is a student station and she on Monday nights from 7-9 p.m. Beckmann asked if Mathis does the PSA or is it just read or taped. Mathis stated that it could be done either way or set up to play rotationally at the end of every hour. She further added that Beckmann should send a letter to the program director and request it. Shank said she would provide the material to Mathis. Mathis also invited the members to come and watch or participate in her program. Beckmann asked if we should be contacting the other stations about this. Mathis replied that possibly KSUI would advertise it. Beckmann asked when the packets are going to be ready for the folding marathon. Shank stated that they will be at the next meeting. Beckmann added that the committee would be chosen during the July meeting. Shank stated that the Commission needs plenty of time to advertise and sell tickets. Youth Awards: Beckmann explained her idea of the youth awards and how great it would be to recognize the youth for their human rights work like the Commission recognizes the adult. She would like to send nomination forms to the schools, school counselors, principals, etc and tell them that we will accept nominations year round of kids who do something commendable that promote human rights and then make a certificate and present it to them. She further added that the Mayor could sign it and possibly present it also. Beckmann said that she doesn't want to limit the award. If we receive 100 good nominations, she wants to give it to all those people. The consensus was that it could be handed out at a meeting. Shank suggested a celebration with food and drinks. Beckmann said that she was told that the kids would not show up for it. Mathis suggested adding it to a school assembly awards program. Beckmann agreed to put together a nomination form and send it off to the schools and see what happens. Details of the event would be planned after the Commission gets a response from the school. Spooner offered his assistance. Mathis said the schools or teachers or the kids themselves could do the nominating. Shank said that the event could be advertised in the newspaper. Beckmann added that the Commission needed to set a nomination deadline, for instance, from January 1st to April 1st. Beckmann stated that the nomination should be evaluated based on what the kids did as opposed to the quality of the nomination. Shank added that the students should provide details as to the human rights activity engaged in by the nominee. Beckmann said that since it was too late for this school year, the Commission could send it out sometime in the fall and accept nominations until sometime in the spring. Mathis said we should check with elementary schools and find out what type of award program they offer. Motion made by Beckmann to make up a nomination form to solicit nominations for youth awards, get a press release to go out in the fall and then get the results back and decide what to do in the spring and seconded by Spooner. Motion: Unanimously approved. Educational Outreach-program ideas: No response Listening posts-verification of who, where, when: Beckmann stated that those working on listening posts are herself, Retish, Peffer, Neblett. Neblett stated that she was going to UAY but not sure with whom. Shank stated that Peffer was going to the Broadway Neighborhood Center. Beckmann asked if anyone had gotten together yet to discuss the details. Shorr stated that he would prefer to go to the Neighborhood Center and Beckmann said that he should get in touch with Peffer before the next meeting, and that Neblett should contact Townsend. Neblett mentioned that she thought of going to the GLBTQA Group at UAY, which includes "questioning youth" and allies of GLBT youth. Beckmann informed Mathis and Spooner of the options of places to attend for the listening posts. Beckmann further stated that she had not heard from Klenske so she does not know what he is doing in terms of his public forum on rental issues. Shank reported that the next Education Committee meeting to discuss the Building Blocks to Employment event on April 15 is scheduled for the 29th at noon in Emma Harvet Hall. Hopefully a new date for the next event will be chosen at the meeting. Beckmann asked if there was a request to co-sponsor this event. Shank stated that the Commission had already agreed at a prior meeting. Beckmann asked for further old or new business. Beckmann asked Shank if she had any more information about the pride event in June. Shank said she had not heard anything. Shank further reminded everyone about the upcoming Latino Conference on November 1st, but that the Latino Institute - a training session is scheduled for the day before the conference. The group could use some assistance if the Commissioners are interested. Shank will send out an email with further information. Shank hopes that someone can participate in this event. Beckmann asked Shank about putting the survey in the water bills. Shank will follow up on it along with the breakfast information. Shorr handed out a booklet published by the Stanley Foundation regarding actions taken by the Federal Government that have resulted in a narrowing of civil rights and civil liberties. Beckmann reminded Commissioners that if they e- mail information to other Commissioners they need to limit the mailings to three due to the open meeting laws. 6. REPORTS OF COMMISSIONERS: Mathis announced that River Fest is scheduled for this next weekend at the University of Iowa. Neblett reported that she attended the counter protest for the Laramie project and she was very inspired. She said it was very peaceful and it went well. Shank attended the performance and indicated it was wonderful. Beckmann announced that she had appeared on a TV program called Ethical Prospectives in the News, and the issue was Gay and Lesbian Foster and Adoption Bill. She did get feedback from people that she did a great job Shorr stated that this was National TV turnoff week and the originator of the idea is Shorr's friend Spooner no report 7. STATUS OF CASES: Shank indicated she had case opinions for Commissioners to sign. 8. ADJOURNMENT: Meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m. MINUTES FINAL IOWA CITY TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION MONDAY, APRIL 28, 2003 - 5:30 P.M. CITY CABLE TV OFFICE, 10 S. L1NN ST.-TOWER PLACE PARKiNG FACILITY MEMBERS PRESENT: Saul Mekies, Jim Pusack, Kimberly Thrower, Terry Smith STAFF PRESENT: Drew Shaffer, Mike Brau, Bob Hardy, Andy Matthews, Dale Helling OTHERS PRESENT: Randy Brown, Rene Paine, Jon Koebrick RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL None at this time. SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION Koebrick reported that the cable TV drop audit is proceeding well. 40 of 50 locations have been tested. The upgrade of the system is about half-way done. This should be done by July 1st. Paine reported that PATV is working with the school system editing some programs that will appear on both the school district channel and PATV. Hardy reported that the City Channel has had an increase in requests for project videos from city departments. These programs will take more time to produce but playback is not time sensitive. Shaffer reported that a Request for Proposal (RFP) for refranchising consultants is complete and has been forwarded to Coralville officials for their review. The RFP will be mailed to about eight potential consultants. Koebrick gave a power point presentation on Mediacom programming, programming charges, subscriber rates and subscriber choices and the pressures applied by the six largest cable companies and channel suppliers that spur some of the local rate and programming issues. .APPROVAL OF MINIUTES Smith moved and Thrower seconded a motion to approve the March, 2003 meeting minutes. The motion passed unanimously. ANNOUNCEMENTS OF COMMISSIONERS None. SHORT PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS None. CONSUMER ISSUES Shaffer referred to the complaint register in the meeting packet. Shaffer reported receiving a total of 11 complaints during the past month, among the complaints were 4 about billing problems, 1 about a customer service representative being condescending, 1 about the rates being too high, 1 about the lack of competition, 1 about not being able to choose and pay for the channels they wish, 1 about other communities paying less for the same channels, 1 about not being able to reach the cable company by phone, and 1 about a cable modem technical problem. All the complaints that could be resolved, have been. MEDIACOM REPORT Koebrick reported that the cable TV drop audit is proceeding well. 40 of 50 locations have been tested. The upgrade of the system is about half-way done. Pusack asked what changes subscribers will see as a result of the rebuild. Brown said that cable modem speeds will increase. Koebrick said that more bandwidth will allow additional channels to be added as well as new applications such as high- definition television, video on demand, and telephony. Smith asked about the outcome of the drop audit. Koebrick said he will provide a report at the next meeting. Pusack referred to the letter in the meeting packet from Mediacom responding to a letter from the mayor regarding placing the Spanish speaking channel on the basic tier and asked what channels could legally be moved to make that change. Koebrick said channels that could be moved are CSPAN and the shopping channels. UNIVERSITY OF IOWA REPORT No representative was present. PATV REPORT Paine reported that PATV is working with the school system editing some programs that will appear on both the school district channel and PATV. It is National Volunteer Week and PATV is promoting volunteerism. SENIOR CENTER REPORT No representative was present. IOWA CITY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT REPORT No representative was present. LEGAL REPORT Matthews said he had nothing new to report. LIBRARY REPORT No representative was present. KIRKWOOD REPORT No representative was present. MEDIA UNIT Hardy reported that he has had an increase in requests for project videos from city departments. These programs will take more time to produce but playback is not time sensitive. The media unit is working with the Water Department on a video on the new water plant. InfoVision has been particularly busy putting together information on road construction. The Community Television Service recently produced the last of four programs dealing with local elderly care agencies. In addition, a program for the Friends of Hickory Hill Park on invasive plant species and a program for the Old Brick Foundation were produced and cablecast. CABLE TV ADMINISTRATOR REPORT Shaffer referred to the list of programs produced by the City Cable TV Division in the last fiscal year included in the meeting packet. Also in the packet was the form used in the drop audit. A Request for Proposal (RFP) for refranchising consultants is complete and has been forwarded to Coralville officials for their review. The RFP will be mailed to about eight potential consultants. The Triennial Review in now on the City Channel 4 web site. Because the fourth Monday in May is Memorial Day the Commission agreed to meet June 2 and not meet the fourth Monday in June. Pusack asked that an agenda item on franchise fees, other sources of revenue, and budget categories for that meeting be added to assist newer members in their understanding of how franchise fees are used in their preparation for the next refranchising process. MEDIACOM PRESENTATION ON HOW PROGRAMMING IMPACTS CUSTOMER RATES AND CHOICES Koebrick gave a power point presentation on programming, programming charges, subscriber rates and subscriber choices. Koebrick's presentation made the following points. Mediacom has invested heavily in Iowa and has rebuilt most of the systems to 550MHz and is offering cable modem service. Programming rates charged to cable operators have increased above the rate of inflation annually every year. Sports programming fees have been rapidly increasing each year and make up the single largest component of programming costs. The cable TV industry is highly concentrated. Ownership of broadcasters, cable programmers, and cable operators is very interconnected. Unlike larger cable operators, Mediacom does not own any cable program suppliers and being a smaller company pays more for their programming costs. Program providers extract carriage for less desired channels in exchange for carrying highly desired channels. Direct broadcast satellite providers do not face the same costs as wire line providers in terms of taxes, fees and infrastructure upgrades but the rates subscribers pay is about the same. Mediacom has filed comments with the FCC in regards to the proposed change in ownership rules and offered several suggestions, including the ability to place expensive channels in tiers and/or an a la carte basis to permit greater subscriber choice and therefore lower rates for those who don't care for those channels. Koebrick asked the city to consider sending comments to the FCC in support of their filings in the proposed ownership rules. ADJOURNMENT Thrower moved and Mekies seconded a motion to adjoum. Adjournment was a 7:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Wm. Drew Shaffer Cable TV Administrator MINUTES FINAL/APPROVED PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MAY 14, 2003 MEMBERS PRESENT: Kevin Boyd, Craig Gustaveson, Judith Klink, Margaret Loomer, Nancy Ostrognai, Matt Pacha, Al Stroh, Sarah Walz, John Westefeld GUESTS PRESENT: Craig Willis, Stacy Van Zante STAFF PRESENT: Mike Moran, Terry Robinson FORMAL ACTION TAKEN Stroh noted a correction to the March 12, 2003 minutes (page 1, last paragraph). Moved by Boyd, seconded by Westefeld, to approve the March 12, 2003 minutes as amenderl Unanimous. Moved by Boyd~ seconded by Stroh~ in li,qht of the recent bud.qet cuts and lack of proiects that will be able to be completed within the next five years~ request the City Council to approve the use of Tlr funds for public improvements specified in the Sand Lake Trail project. Unanimous. Moved by Westefeld, seconded by Boyd, to appoint Mary Weideman and Bill Brandt to th~, Iowa City Parks and Recreation Foundation. Unanimous. NEW MEMBER Pacha welcomed Margaret Loomer to the commission; introductions were made. PUBLIC DISCUSSION Stacy Van Zante addressed the commission with respect to Friends of Hickory Hill Park's rain garden proposal. The proposal consists of development of a rain garden in Hickory Hill Park off of Bloomington Street, which has been reviewed by City staff. She expressed appreciation to the City for allowing the group the opportunity to work with the City again, noting a group of 5th and 6r" graders from Roosevelt Elementary School, PrairieLand Watershed Alliance, Johnson County Soil and Water Conservation District and Environmental Advocates will also be involved. Van Zante stated Friends of Hickory Hill Park would be submitting a plan for prairie reconstruction on a 6.5-acre site in Hickory Hill Park. The location is the open grassy slope northeast of the Dodge/Conklin entrance. In order to prepare the site, they are anticipating the use of glyphosate, herbicides and fire, and they will work with the City regarding any concerns or questions. She indicated their next step is to start the removal of large woody plants to allow mowing and application of herbicide this fall and use of fire next spring. Trueblood reported staff met with John Loomer and Bob Sessions, and work on removing multiflora rose by volunteers will begin soon. Trueblood indicated staff would like Russ Bennett involved when it came to the controlled burn. The commission as a whole noted their appreciation. Craig Willis appeared before the commission to brief them on a proposal that has not yet been developed, but that Riverside Theatre is considering the possibility of bringing to the City for approval It would entail limited sales of beer and wine at the Riverside Festival Stage during the annual Shakespeare Festival. His purpose at this time was to inform the Commission and assess whether or not commission members would have serious concerns about such a proposal going before the City Council. He indicated that if such a proposal were developed, it would not be for this summer. Parks and Recreation Commission May 14, 2003 Page 2 of 4 Willis also expressed his disapproval of the City Manager's recommendation to reduce the parkland acquisition fund from $320,000 to $50,000 to help handle the budget shortfall. He noted he was on the commission when it initiated the fund and offered a brief history. He felt the policy reasons to create the fund still apply and it is important to set aside money and to impose discipline upon staff to acquire parks. He noted the majority of this money did not come from the general fund, but other places such as hotel/motel tax. He strongly encouraged the commission not to condone or allow this reduction to happen and to take an active role in opposing it. He stated it is a policy crisis of enduring nature and there are other alternatives. WATERWORKS PARK DEVELOPMENT Klink reported the sub-committee met twice and began looking at goals for prairie restoration and possible alternatives since financing seems questionable. Trueblood reported he met with the Water Division, Russ Bennett and Wendell Jones/Johnson County Soil and Water Conservation Commission and seeding around the ponds (15 acres total) is currently underway. He noted it is a very expensive seed mix, which is necessary to control erosion plus it has to be heavily seeded since the geese will likely eat a sizeable portion of it. He stated there is a good chance staff will be able to seed another 35 acres, with a grant the Water Division received, supplemented with City funds. Walz stated they would like to have a meeting to bring groups together who would have an interest in supporting this project. Another possibility would be for the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Foundation to undertake a fundraising effort. She stated there are a number of grants, which may be available. Klink stated the sub-committee would like to pursue these options with the involvement and enthusiastic commitment of the commission and foundation. Boyd indicated he would be more than happy to help plan a public meeting, and expressed his appreciation to the sub-committee for their work and effort. Walz stated she would like the foundation's input prior to a public meeting; Pacha indicated the foundation would be meeting soon and this item would be placed on its agenda. Klink stated there is a great deal of current interest in prairie and capitalizing and channeling it would benefit the project. SAND LAKE TRAIL Boyd reported he has reviewed the proposal by FIRST, which was brought to the commission some time ago. He suggested pursuing TIF funds, which are available for public projects in a TIF district. Over the past 20 years, the City Council has given money back to individual businesses for redevelopment. He noted the funds often times are used for street reconstruction, traffic lights and sidewalks, with the funds traditionally given back to particular developers looking for tax abatement. Boyd suggested that the commission ask the City Council to finance this project with TIF funds. Gustaveson indicated the whole community would benefit if TIF funds were used for this project. Boyd stated the project should be reviewed to determine which phases could be done. Klink noted FIRST funded the project design in December 2001. She registered concern with possible overdevelopment of the area. She appreciated when she takes bike trail to Napoleon Park passing through wild areas that are not developed, and it would be a shame to overdevelop the area. She noted the location of the proposed parking lot might be an area where there are nice trees. Stroh felt the proposed parking area was pretty much a wasteland. Klink stated people have different attitudes about wasteland or space left as open space. Walz noted the plan did not specify how the area would be landscaped. This might be an issue in terms of being Iow maintenance, with the ability of the department to sustain it. Boyd stated these issues could be worked out if City Council approves funding. Klink stated she was open to revisiting the plan. Parks and Recreation Commission May 14, 2003 Page 3 of 4 Moved by Boyd, seconded by Stroh, in liqht of the recent budget cuts and lack of projects that will be able to be completed within the next five years, request the City Council to approve the use of TIF funds for public improvements specified in the Sand Lake Trail project. Unanimous. PARKS AND RECREATION FOUNDATION Pacha reported Mary Weideman and Bill Brandt are willing to serve on the Foundation. Moved by Westefeld, seconded by Boyd, to appoint Mary Weideman and Bill Brandt to the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Foundation. Unanimous. PROPOSED BUDGET REDUCTIONS Pacha commented on the City Manager's proposal to reduce the parkland acquisition fund from $320,000 to $50,000. He noted the money did not come from the general fund, and felt it was a shortsighted solution. Gustaveson felt the City Council had indicated that no additional money would be coming into the fund; Boyd noted that was not his impression. Boyd stated there appeared to be at least four council members who indicated a commitment to fund the master plan. Stroh stated income should be restored into this fund by the hotel/motel tax, and suggested cutting the deer kill program. Walz noted her interest in the number of suggested cuts to bus service, but no mention of raising parking fees. Trueblood stated parking fees do not help the general fund; they are enterprise funds, which are self-supporting. Trueblood reviewed a list of FY04-05 budget reduction considerations, which may affect the department. Pacha stated he was adamant about not reducing the Parkland Acquisition Fund by $270,000. Trueblood noted if the fund is not reduced, the City Council may ask the department to cut other programs to make up this amount. Pacha asked about the timeframe for the final decision. Trueblood stated the City Manager would like to have it finalized by next month, which may necessitate a special commission meeting. Gustaveson asked if the commission volunteered to give the fund up, would there be any way to lobby, since it is not out of the general fund, that there be some type of vehicle to stad getting a certain percentage of money to replace it. He stated in light of the way Iowa City is growing there is a need to have acquisition funds. Trueblood stated the commission could lobby anything it wants, reminding them that in 1994 with the adoption of the neighborhood open space ordinance, Casey Cook stood before the City Council telling them not to adopt the plan if it did not intend to give additional staff and equipment. Various members indicated the commission should be represented at the next work session and formal meeting of the City Council. COMMISSION TIME Ostrognai indicated she heard a rumor that the front porches and breezeways of the houses being built in the peninsula area have one or more steps. Robinson stated there are some with more than one step, but at least two have chair lifts. Westefeld referred to the ribbon cutting ceremony for the reinstallation of the CBD playground equipment, and many people were very happy it is once again open. Trueblood stated there are some problems with the playground surface, which will need to be addressed. Loomer indicated she was excited to be on the commission. She noted this meeting opened her mind to the things the commission does that she was not aware of. Klink complimented staff for maintaining the recreation programs and presenting them in an Parks and Recreation Commission May 14, 2003 Page 4 of 4 attractive brochure. Walz commented on the downtown vegetation this spring, noting it was spectacular. She also noted the University of Iowa Herbarium is being given to Iowa State University, which will be a blow to environmental issues in Iowa City. She had a petition for people to sign if they were against it. Pacha noted he was pleased to see the expanded railroad track in City Park. He asked about the participation level of on-line registration. Moran stated the department did more business the first day of registration on-line than it did at both sites. Pacha encouraged members to attend the next City Council meeting regarding the parkland acquisition fund. DIRECTOR'S REPORT Trueblood reported on the following: Bid ODeninos. There were two bid openings - one for the parking lot and trail connections at the north end at the Waterworks Park and the Oakland Cemetery Deeded Body Memorial Site. Gustaveson asked if the University of Iowa was contributing to this project; Trueblood indicated they have committed to $30,000. Trueblood noted bids would be let this fall for more trails in Waterworks Park and a walkway up to the Butler House. Adopt-a-Trail. The City Manager has suggested developing such a program. OTHER BUSINESS Robinson noted staff has begun work on the Aber Avenue property, purchased with parkland acquisition funds, for a Willow Creek Trail connection. Boyd indicated he would like to know how the parkland acquisition fund has been utilized; staff will furnish this information. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 6:50 p.m. MINUTES Approved PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2003 EMMA J. HARVAT HALL - CIVIC CENTER MEMBERS PRESENT: Don Anciaux, Ann Bovbjerg, Ann Freerks, Jerry Hansen, Elizabeth Koppes, Dean Shannon MEMBERS ABSENT: Benjamin Chair STAFF PRESENT: Mitch Behr, Bob Miklo OTHERS PRESENT: Richard Twohy, Marjorie Schmidt, Jean Tack, Maxine Simon, Terry Stamper CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Bovbjerg called the meeting to order at 7:32 p.m. RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL: Recommended approval, on a vote of 6-0, of REZ03-00016/SUB03-00008, an application submitted by Terry L. Stamper Holdings LLC for a final plat of the Peninsula Neighborhood, Part 2, a 9.01-acre, 35-1ot subdivision located on Foster Road and amendments to the Peninsula Neighborhood Code and Regulating Plan (OPDH Plan), subject to staff approval of construction plans and legal papers prior to City Council consideration of the final plat and staff approval of a landscape plan for Outlot 1. Recommended approval, on a vote of 6-0, of SUB03-0017, an application submitted by DawEd Limited for a final plat of Galway Hills Part 7, a 10.98-acre, 16-1ot subdivision located on Dublin Drive, subject to staff approval of legal papers and construction drawings prior to City Council consideration of the plat. Recommended approval, on a vote of 6-0, of SUB03-00016, an application submitted by Arlington Development Inc. for a final plat of Windsor Ridge Part 18A, a 3.66-acre, 2-lot subdivision located on Camden Road north of Court Street, subject to staff approval of legal papers and construction drawings prior to City Council consideration of the plat. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA: Richard Twohy, 400 South Dubuque Street, said that he and some others came to the last meeting but some of those at the meeting could not hear well and did not realize a decision was being made. He said he lives at Heritage Manor, which was the subject for an application brought by James Clark for a zoning change. Twohy said the application was heard at the mid-April meeting and deferred and then heard again on May 1 . Twohy said, as a result of not having been not fled by C ark and not otherwise knowing what was happening, the elderly residents of the building did not get a chance to provide input to the Commission or to the City staff. Twohy said he is the resident manager and is therefore an employee of Clark and AUR. He said he is speaking now because, unlike all issues of the past, this was a quiet community of people who don't get up and holler about things. Twohy said this rezoning, however, is felt by a lot of the neighbors to be something that affects their lives. He said several other people were going to come to the meeting but felt the decision was final, since the Commission sent this forward with a recommendation. Twohy said, in any event, the neighbors want to be brief but firm about some of the reasons why the Commission and the City Council, if the Commission cannot re-examine this, need to consider the issues of diversity, an important value to the City and the City government, and the important reasons why a housing place for elderly has to do with people staying alive and with the community staying current. Jean Tack, 400 South Dubuque Street, said this senior apartment building is the only market-rate one downtown. She said she and her husband moved here three years ago. Tack said they have liked Iowa City so much and love downtown. Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes May 15, 2003 Page 2 Tack said they found this building to be affordable and like it very much. She said she would like to stay here as long as she can. Tack questioned why a zoning program is needed here, especially when the number of seniors is getting larger all the time. Tack said some seniors will want to be downtown. She said she loves to see children and students, but she enjoys living in a quiet, senior place. Maxine Simon, 400 Dubuque Street, said she has lived in the Heritage Apartments for about a year. She said her place is just lovely and is very quiet inside. Simon said she is afraid that if this rezoning goes through and students move in, everything will be very different. She said she chose this place because of the quiet. Simon said she is leery of the security if students move in here. She said there is currently very good security in the building. Simon said she is also leery of drunks coming in and is afraid that the property will decline. She said she looked at other apartments before she came here, and she could always tell where the students live. She said the student apartments and properties were in poor condition. Simon said if students come in, it will cost a lot more to maintain the property. Anciaux asked if there is anything the Commission could do about this item at this point and asked where this was in the process with City Council. Bovbjerg responded that the Commission has a 45-day limitation period on items that come before it, and that period has now expired. She said this is now at the City Council level so that there is nothing the Commission can do within its charge to change this. Bovbjerg said these people have wanted to speak, and this is a fine forum for that. She suggested that those in attendance write to the City Council, meet with the City Council members, and go to the City Council meeting. Bovbjerg said the next step is at the City Council meeting where these concerns can be listened to. Bovbjerg stated that, related to this issue, what the Commission looks at concerns issues of zoning, land use, etc., and sometimes, perhaps unfortunately, the Commission can't look at what is happening inside, such as finances, population, etc. She said the remarks cannot change what the Commission decided, but the Commission can listen to the speakers and encourage them to present their case to the City Council. Maymie Schmidt, 400 South Dubuque Street, said she has been living in Heritage Manor since it opened about 20 years before. She said she is elderly, and this location is close to church for her. Schmidt said she likes it here and does not want to have to move out quite a ways. She said she enjoys living down near town. Richard Twohy thanked the Commission for listening to the speakers. He said the kind of input that they offer is an important piece of the question of whether the variance that was granted 20 years ago in this commercial zone should be now made permanent and turned into a high-density residential place. Twohy said that would then mean that elders who were thrifty and lucky and are not receiving public assistance would have no place in downtown Iowa City. He said we need to be thinking about whether the recommendation that the Commission had with the information that was before it at the time is really appropriate. Bovbjerg commented that the minutes from this meeting will go to the City Council. She said concerns should be written or spoken. Bovbjerg stated that the next City Council meeting will be Tuesday night, and the public hearing would be set for June 10~. Miklo confirmed that June 10th would be the first opportunity to speak to the City Council at a public meeting regarding this item. Bovbjerg suggested that, in the meantime, speakers send information to the City Council because it helps for the City Council to know that people are concerned about this. Hansen asked Twohy if he perceives that the building has a high vacancy rate. Behr cautioned against getting into the merits of the application. Hansen said he is wondering, if future things aimed at senior housing come before the Commission, why it is so hard to fill a senior housing unit downtown. Twohy said that is an important, continuing issue. He said there are significant answers to that regarding whether or not the owners use the effort necessary to fill the building with elderly residents, as Clark Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes May 15, 2003 Page 3 mentioned three or four different kinds of efforts over the years. Twohy said there is no question that a building as nice as this that is priced to match the real time market that now exists in Iowa City can be full all the time. Bovbjerg said these are questions of how a building is used and not necessarily something that the Commission can look at. She pointed out that the original applicant is not present to counter anything that might be brought up. Freerks suggested those present call the City offices to find out approximately when this item might fa on the agenda on June 10th, She added that those who cannot attend can always telephone City Council members or write letters in order to be heard. ANNOUNCEMENT OF VACANCIES ON CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS' Bovbjerg said there are many ways a citizen can help the City, and the vacancies on local boards and commissions are listed in the lobby. DEVELOPMENT ITEMS: REZ03-00016/SUB03-00008. Discussion of an application submitted by Terry L. Stamper Holdings LLC for a final plat of the Peninsula Neighborhood, Part 2, a 9.01-acre, 35-1ot subdivision located on Foster Road and amendments to the Peninsula Neighborhood Code and Regulating Plan. (45-day limitation period expires June 9) Miklo said that the preliminary plat and the OPDH Planned Development Housing Plan for this property were approved in May 2001. He said the final plat for Part 1 was approved recently by the City Council and is currently under construction. Miklo said the applicant is now seeking approval of the final plat for Part 2. Miklo said the regulating OPDH plan applies to the entire property. He showed the location of Phase 1, which contains about 80 units, and the location of Phase 2. Miklo said that in addition to the final plat that the Commission is being asked to consider, there is also a proposal for amendments to the regulating plan and the development code. He said the primary focus, however, is the final plat, which would create 35 residential lots in Phase 2. Miklo said the plat as submitted is in general conformance with the preliminary plat that was approved earlier, although there are some changes. He said in the original approval, Lot 177 on Swisher Street was intended to include up to 36 multi-family units in one building. Miklo stated that the applicant is proposing to revise that portion of the plan to subdivide that lot into five single-family lots (Lots 31-35). He said there would be one outlot with up to ten parking spaces and a private access easement that would provide access to the rear of those lots. Miklo said another change in the lot configuration from the original plan is that this (pointing at Lots 61-65) block was to include six single-family lots. He stated that the proposal revises that to include a lot in the middle that would contain a small, four-unit apartment building, and there would only be four single-family lots for a gain of two units on that block. Miklo said in this vicinity (pointing to Lots 57-59), this area was divided into a series of smaller lots for row houses or townhouses and one single-family house on the corner. He said the proposed revision leaves two townhouses or row houses and two four-plex buildings. Miklo said it also removes a sidewalk between what now would be a four-unit building and two townhouses. He stated that in the initial concept plan for the Peninsula, the thought was that Emma Harvat Square would have the live/work units and would have the opportunity for commercial development in it so that there might be the possibility of people parking in the alley wanting to get to the commercial uses, and the sidewalk would provide access to the parking behind. Miklo said what has happened is that in Phase I, Founders' Square is now going to have live/work units in it and will likely be the emphasis of the commercial development. He said therefore there is less of a need for a pedestrian crossing here. Miklo noted that all of the blocks on the Peninsula are fairly small so that there is less of a need for pedestrian crossways than in the newer subdivisions in town. He said the Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes May 15, 2003 Page 4 subdivision regulations require a pedestrian crossway whenever a block exceeds 800 feet in length, but this one would be approximately 400 feet. Miklo said in the original plan, Lot 56 was to have four townhouses on it. He said in lieu of the four townhouses, the proposal is to now have a four-unit apartment building. Miklo said this area (pointing to Lots 36 and 37) was divided into individual townhouse lots. He said that is now being designed as a common lot, with townhouses on it. Miklo said those units would be sold as condominiums, rather than being on their own properties, and he believed that was being done primarily for utility purposes. He said the actual physical appearance of the buildings and the units will be no different than what was shown previously. Miklo said that same situation applies to Lot 41, where there would be a series of row houses on a common lot, and they would be sold as condominiums versus individual small, narrow lots. In addition, Miklo said there are proposed changes to the code itself. He said there is an additional housing type, a cottage fiat, proposed. Miklo said it could contain up to two dwelling units and could therefore be a single unit or a duplex. He pointed out areas in red on the overhead that would contain the cottage flats, with two in each of the areas for a total of 20 throughout the entire development. Miklo said the document provided to the Commission contains a description of the cottage flat. He said it basically has the same setback and porch requirements as a cottage but can contain two units. Miklo said another proposed change is the method in which grade is measured. He said that currently there is a requirement in most cases that the finished floor area be 30 inches above grade. Miklo said the purpose of that is to assure that there is some privacy in the units, because they will be fairly close to, if not adjacent to, the sidewalk. He said moving them above the sidewalk approximately three feet will create some privacy. Miklo said it does create some problems with regard to accessibility for persons with disabilities. He said the proposed code amendment would therefore measure the grade from the average point versus the lowest point. Miklo said it will then make it more feasible to do ramping and other methods to create accessibility. Miklo said another code amendment would be to allow home occupations on all floors of the residential units. He said that would be consistent with the way it is done elsewhere in the City. Miklo stated that another proposed amendment is the requirement to remove balconies from the small apartment buildings. He said this was a proposal that the applicant placed on himself when drafting the code but is now requesting be removed. Miklo said the change primarily would benefit the Greater Iowa City Housing Fellowship (GICHF), which is proposing a small nine-unit apartment building and would like to avoid the expense of adding balconies. He said in that design, there would be one common upstairs porch or open area for the residents of the building. Regarding the cottage fiat amendment, Miklo said that would not only apply to Phase II but would also apply to future phases in the areas that were shown in red. Miklo said staff believes these amendments are in keeping with the original spirit and intent of the Peninsula. He said even though there will be fewer units in Phase II than what was originally proposed and there is a slight reconfiguration of the housing types, staff believes there is still a great variety of housing types in this phase and in the future phases. Miklo said staff recommends approval subject to a landscaping plan for the outlot that will contain up to ten parking spaces and also subject to approval of construction drawings and legal papers prior to City Council consideration. Hansen asked if the home occupation use would be limited to one floor. Miklo said it could be on all floors, but the ownedoccupant has to live in the house. Hansen asked what the actual impact would be on the level of the ground floor, averaging it between the Iow point and the high point. Miklo responded that it is difficult to say without an actual building proposal. He said, however, that it will allow for mounding up or perhaps a berm that would make it easier to create a ramp to get into a building. Anciaux asked if it is 30 inches from the Iow point. Miklo said right now the regulations call for 30 inches from the lowest point. He said if one wanted to grade up to make a ramp for accessibility, it would be disallowed by the code. Miklo said a ramp can be built, but the earth can't be moved up in a berming- type situation under the current code. He said the proposal would measure that 30 inches from the Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes May 15, 2003 Page 5 average so that it would be easier to berm up a portion of the site and still achieve the 30 inches above grade in general. Hansen asked if there will be any impact on the percentage of affordable housing in this development as a result of removing the large apartment building. Miklo said there would not be, because that particular building would have been a market rate building that is not one of the sites identified for possible purchase by the Greater Iowa City Housing Fellowship. He said it may also be that in future phases, the applicant will ask to put some of those units elsewhere in the development. Miklo said that is happening to a small degree by the addition of the four-plex to the block that previously would have had only single- family houses. Hansen said someone informed him that a rental permit is not required for the rental properties in the Peninsula Project. Miklo said that is not true. He said to rent a house or apartments in an apartment building, the owner will have to obtain a rental permit, and there will have to be inspections. He said he was not cer[ain about the accessory apartments, in which someone lives in the house and has an apartment above the garage. Miklo said he was not certain that it has been determined that those would require a rental permit, but he suspected that they probably do and would also be subject to inspections for health and safety reasons. Freerks said she is a little concerned with the reduction in the number of units from 98 to 61. She said she is certain it is for a good reason. Freerks asked if the largest unit in Phase II is a four-unit building, and Miklo confirmed this, saying there will be four, four-unit buildings in Phase II. Regarding the number of units and the agreement with the developer, Miklo said the zoning put in place a few years ago allowed up to five units per acre, approximately 400 to 410 units. He said there is no requirement to achieve that level, afihough the developer would probably like to get close to that. Miklo said in future phases there may therefore be proposals for more apartments where there would have been a lower density. Freerks agreed that part of the plan was for diversity and being able to have those types of units, and she hoped that would continue in the future. Miklo showed on an overhead slide two sites identified for the larger apartment buildings in future phases. Miklo said one other minor point is that there is a proposed change for Phase I. He showed a lot that will have one of the cottage fiats on it. Miklo said that because of its odd, triangular shape, it is difficult to fit a building on there and also to attach the eight-foot porch that is required. He said in that case, the proposal is to reduce the front yard setback by two feet. He said the porch on the site would stick out two feet closer to the street than the others on the block. Miklo said staff feels that is pretty minor and will actually add some interest and variety to the street. Anciaux asked what defines a flat. Miklo said it is an apartment. He stated that the cottage would be one house, and the cottage fiat would have two units in it, one on the first floor and one on the second floor. Bovbjerg said, regarding shifting certain types from one place to another, her concern, when the two places where the larger buildings might go are pointed out, is that there will be traffic that will have to go all the way through the neighborhood in order to get to a large, dense building. She said that is something the Commission really discourages and tries not to zone for. Bovbjerg said the Commission needs to be cautious about that kind of thing. Bovbjerg said her concern with going to singles and duplexes in Phases I and II is that it starts pushing density toward the back. She said that is not good, because she doesn't want the same housing types to be all bunched in one place, nor does she want to see traffic going through the whole place. Bovbjerg said originally this was worked out with a mix of types of housing, a mix of affordability, and a mix of the kinds of things happening all over the Peninsula. She said she would like to keep on that track so that not all of the apartments come in Phase VI at the far end. Miklo said the Commission will have some control over that, and the City Council will have ultimate control. He said any changes from the approved preliminary plan will come before the Commission. Miklo showed one site planned for an apartment building that could have up to 45 units on it and the second site that could have up to 36 units. Bovbjerg said the building with 36 units is closer to the entrance, and that would be a lot more inviting to her. She said this is a problem that has occurred with other developments before in that if it's seen street Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes May 15, 2003 Page 6 by street and small group by small group, it looks different when you see the whole development and realize what you've gotten yourself into. Bovbjerg wanted the Commission to be able to keep the entire Peninsula in mind, especially if there is a goal number of units or a minimum. Bovbjerg asked if the live/work area is the only area where there is going to be any commercial activity. Miklo said that is likely to be the focus, because the buildings are being built at grade and are designed for the first floor to be either commercial or residential space. He said the code allows neighborhood/commercial type uses in the townhouses and row houses on the ground floor as well. Miklo said it may be possible to have a small business in one of the row houses or townhouses elsewhere in the development. Bovbjerg asked if there could be commercial any other place in the development, as long as it is in a row house or a townhouse, and Miklo confirmed this. He added that there could be a home occupation use in any of the buildings, but that is far more limiting as to what can be done there. Public discussion: Terry Stamper, 1712 Lewis Place, said he is the developer of this project. He said the cottage fiat/duplex unit is a response to the affordable housing people, the Greater Iowa City Housing Fellowship. Stamper said they requested that classification, as it fits a need for them. He commented that he made the code change request to remove the balconies at the request of affordable housing. Stamper said the GICHF has been working out their program and has come up with architecture that will fit in the neighborhood but still be affordable to them and their clients. He said the GICHF has therefore requested modifications and changes, and he has dealt with them as best he could, making the changes that did not seem to have a great affect in the neighborhood. Stamper said in the beginning there was a vision for this place that was presented in a series of renderings (the DovedKohl plan). He said that is what the Commission expects to happen, and he is trying to keep to that. Stamper said one can't be changing the code around a lot, but he is modifTing it where he can for the GICHF to make their deal work better. Stamper said what Miklo referred to as small apartment buildings and what has been referred to as a 36- unit apartment building was never intended for rentals but were always for sale units. He said in Phase II where he has added four, four-unit buildings, those are basically 1,250-square foot flats. Stamper said they are dwellings on one floor only, and that was a response to the market. He said that unit is small enough, is affordable, and fits a lot of lifestyles. Stamper said he wanted to try that out and so created four of them, putting them around Emma Harvat Square, because there will be a lot of activity there. He said he mixed in townhouses, which is another building type for a different demographic. Stamper said what is he doing is trying to provide housing for everybody at every age, every income, and every life stage. He said that requires a lot of building types. Stamper said he did his best in the beginning to try to anticipate what those would be, but as this progresses, he is going to find more products that people really want that he didn't have in the beginning, and he'll be coming back to the Commission to make those modifications. Stamper said this is a learning process so that every phase will be slightly different from what was conceived three years ago. Regarding replacing the 36 units with five units, Stamper said he will be back later to get those back or as many as he can. He said where Miklo said there would be 45 units, that was something that was approved three years ago, as were the 36 units. Stamper said these are places that could hold density, because of their location tucked into the trees on the site where they don't create problems. He said they were anticipated a while ago. Stamper said he is not going to create any new apartment buildings of that type but is going to take the ones that exist and redo them so that he can pick up some of this density. He said it is not just a random thing; he is not trying to change the nature of the place but is trying to adjust it as it progresses. Stamper said he has found that what he thought three years ago is different from what is real on the ground today in the manner of how best to use the site. He said there is only one way in and out, so there is always the traffic question. Stamper said he is very sensitive to those issues and is keeping that in mind. Regarding Phase I, Stamper said he is taking purchase agreements now. He added that when he has a unit or building type for which the final pricing or architecture has not been completed, he is taking reservation agreements. Stamper said in a reservation agreement, $1,000 goes into a trust account, and the person can have the money back at any time, but it does make him first in line on that unit. He said Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes May 15, 2003 Page 7 when the GICHF is figured in and what they are purchasing in Phase I and what he has either sold or taken reservations on, he is halfway through the first phase. He said it is a roaring success up there, and everyone really likes it. Stamper invited Commission members to visit the site so they can see that it is turning out just like they wanted it to. He said there will be an open house on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and invited members to come and see the model home. Stamper said the plans will change, the codes will change, and the regulating plan will change, but they change because he is making it better not because he is trying to dilute it. He said he has purposefully made it just like the Commission wanted it because that is what was promised, but it is also exactly what the market wants too. Stamper said he has no need to change it. Hansen thanked the City and staff for the foresight to do this project. He also thanked Stamper for his tenacity in sticking with this. Stamper said this is the first new urbanism project under construction in the country that was initiated by a city. He said there are 450 of these projects in the country right now. Bovbjerg asked if the cottage fiats will have one door or two going in the front. Stamper stated that the GICHF has designed the cottage fiats. He said he believes the door enters into a little vestibule, and then there is a stairway that goes upstairs and then into the other unit. Bovbjerg said if it blends in, it would be good, but no one should bend over backwards trying to disguise the fact that this is a two-fiat house, because that is perfectly legitimate. Stamper said that is absolutely correct. He said it is about the dignity of the architecture. He said if it is a finely designed building, it doesn't have to be fancy, it just has to be well-designed. Stamper stated that if it is well-designed, it will fit in the neighborhood, because the criterion for the neighborhood is well- designed houses, whether it be a mansion or affordable. He said the GICHF people have done a decent job and have been very patient with him, as he keeps sending the drawings back to them. Stamper said the GICHF has done a decent job of coming up with buildings that will fit in the neighborhood quite well. Bovbjerg said affordable housing is discussed as housing for people with a certain income. She said it sounds as though the GICHF is the only group that will be dealing in this. Bovbjerg asked if there will be ordinary houses built for a certain market that are not going through the GICHF. Stamper said his housing will start at about $130,000. Bovbjerg asked if there is a way for people to go into affordable housing without going through the GICHF. Stamper said that is the group that he was given here in the City. He said actually it is the City of Iowa City's Housing Authority and the GICHF that have kind of joint-ventured to do the 10%, which is what they started with. Stamper said they have given up some of the units so that they will actually have less than the 10%. He said that is who he is working with, although it could be open to others, should the GICHF decide not to do it. Stamper said he has set aside the lots no matter what, and if the GICHF likes it and is successful, they will probably do all of them. He said, however, that he did not think there was anything in the development agreement that would preclude another group from coming in. Stamper said he believed it was the City's desire to have him work with them, so that is what he has been doing. Bovbjerg asked if it is correct if a person coming in needing housing assistance would be going through the City anyway. Miklo said that would not necessarily be the case. He said other than the Housing Authority, the City currently does not have another program to produce housing. Miklo said there is nothing that would prevent someone from buying one of these lots and building a less expensive house as long as it meets the zoning, setbacks, and design standards. Stamper said there are a number of different ways to help people into housing. He said right now this is focused on people of Iow to moderate income. Stamper said up to 10% of the units in the Peninsula were to be set aside for Iow to moderate income. He said he set aside 37 units originally, and the GICHF has backed that down to 31 or 32 units. Freerks asked how many planned developments have a percentage set aside for Iow income housing such as this. Miklo said this is the first one, and that is because the City owned the property and was able to negotiate that. He said there was only one other case using zoning, and it was for an apartment Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes May 15, 2003 Page 8 building where the developer had a choice of providing one or two units to the Housing Authority at a certain rent level to get bonus points. Stamper said a neighborhood has housing for everyone at every income, every age, and every life stage or lifestyle. He said it was the Commission's idea to have this, and it's going to happen. Stamper said the GICHF will start building some time this summer. Bovbjerg said that as a design idea for accessible housing, she would like to see flexibility either with berming or porches or something so that there could be row houses that are essentially at grade that would not necessarily look to be at grade and would not look out of line with other ones. She said that can be done on a hill or with porches, berming, elevating the windows, etc. Bovbjerg said she would like to consider that instead of mounding up dirt or building up berms, although it might require a code change later to allow something to be built at grade. Stamper said that can be done now. He said about half of the units in the first phase will be totally accessible and designed with universal design in the kitchens and bathrooms. Stamper said this will be on the loft units. He said it is a little more difficult on the single-family houses, but if someone came to him with such a challenge, it can be done and is being done around the country. He said the code is a little strict about some things, although the proposed changes will help. Stamper said if someone came and really needed a house, he can deal with that. Bovbjerg agreed that those things are available and can fit into a neighborhood. Stamper stated that the site is such a wonderful site that he can make it look different block by block. He said no two blocks will look the same. Stamper said in Phase II, there will actually be 22 new buildings, while in most subdivisions there are only four or five house styles built over and over again. Public discussion closed. Bovbjerg pointed out that because this is a rezoning, this courd be the first of two meetings, unless the Commission wishes to make a decision at this meeting. MOTION: Anciaux moved to approve REZ03-00016/SUB03-00008, an application submitted by Terry L. Stamper Holdings LLC for a final plat of the Peninsula Neighborhood, Part 2, a 9.01-acre, 35-1ot subdivision located on Foster Road and amendments to the Peninsula Neighborhood Code and Regulating Plan, subject to staff approval of construction plans and legal papers prior to City Council consideration of the final plat and staff approval of a landscape plan for Outlot I. Shannon seconded the motion. Anciaux said he is very impressed with Stamper's presentation. Freerks said this is an excerlent plan, and she wished Stamper great success with this. Anciaux said he would like to see a stoplight at the corner of Foster Road and North Dubuque Street. Bovbjerg agreed. Bovbjerg said she sees no reason to hold this over to the next meeting. She said the Commission is quite familiar with this, and the rezoning is not that drastic. Bovbjerg said she appreciated the responses from the developer regarding affordability and accessibility issues. The motion carried on a vote of 6-0. Miklo said the City Council will have a public hearing on this at its June 10th meeting. SUB03-00017. Discuss[on of an application submitted by Day-Ed Limited for a final plat of Galway Hills Part 7, a 10.98-acre, 16-1ot subdivision located on Dublin Drive. (45-day limitation period expires June 8) Miklo stated that the Commission recently approved the preliminary plat for this property. He said the final plat is in compliance with the preliminary, and staff recommends approval, subject to legal papers and construction drawings being approved prior to City Council consideration. Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes May 15, 2003 Page 9 Public discussion: There was none. Public discussion closed. MOTION: Freerks moved to approve SUB03-0017, an application submitted by Day-Ed Limited for a final plat of Galway Hills Part 7, a 10.98-acre, 16-1ot subdivision located on Dublin Drive, subject to staff approval of legal papers and construction drawings prior to City Council consideration of the plat. Anciaux seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 6-0. SUB03-00016. Discussion of an application submitted by Arlington Development Inc. for a final plat of Windsor Ridge Part 18A, a 3.66-acre, 2-lot subdivision located on Camden Road north of Court Street. (45-day limitation period expires June 8) Miklo said the Commission recently approved the preliminary plat and OPDH plan and rezoning for this property. He said this is a smaller phase of that and includes a lot with eight attached housing units and an open space to be maintained by the homeowners' association. Miklo said the open space will have a trail that will connect into the public trail. Miklo said staff recommends approval of this, subject to staff appreval of legal papers and construction drawings prior to City Council consideration of the plat. Public discussion: There was none. Public discussion closed. MOTION: Freerks moved to approve SUB03-00016, an application submitted by Arlington Development Inc. for a final plat of Windsor Ridge Part 'I8A, a 3.66-acre, 2-lot subdivision located on Camden Road north of Court Street, subject to staff approval of legal papers and construction drawings prior to City Council consideration of the plat. Koppes seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 6-6. OTHER: Anciaux said he had his report ready regarding the conference but would like to have Chair present when he gives the report. Bovbjerg said the City Council has rescheduled its work sessions for the near future to 5:30 instead of 6:30 in order to have more time to discuss budgeting issues. CONSIDERATION OF THE MAY 1, 2003 MEETING MINUTES: MOTION: Anciaux moved to approve the minutes of the May 1, 2003 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, as written. Hansen seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 6-0. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 p.m. Jerry Hansen, Secretary Minutes submitted by Anne Schulte data on otynt/pcd/minutes/p&z05-15o03.doc MINUTES Final/Approved 3~~ SENIOR CENTER COMMISSION TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2003 MEMBERS PRESFNT: Lori Benz, I:ve Casserly, Joanne Hora, Jay Honohan, Betty Kelly, Allan Monsanto, and Charity Rowley MEMBERS ABSENT: Deb Schoenfelder and Jim Schintler STAFF PRESENT: Michelle Buhman, Linda Kopping, Susan Rogusky and Julie Seal. GUESTS: William Laubengayer, Betty McKray and Charlotte Walker. CALL TO ORDER MINUTES Motion: To approve the April minutes as distributed, Kelly/Monsanto Motion carried on a vote of 7-0, PUBLIC DISCUSSION Betty McKray presented the Commission with the following statement: I represent the Johnson County Task Force for Older Americans. Today I want to present to you copies of the following statements recently approved at the Task Force meetings. At the Task Force meeting on April 14 the motion was: That the Task Force add to its standing committees one on Senior Centers in order to be informed and suppod local communities efforts to serve the nutritional, health and recreational needs of Johnson County Seniors. It is expected that this new committee will be organized after the 2003-4 Task Force begins in July. At the Task Force meeting on May 12, 2003, the following motion was passed The Johnson County Task Force on Aging believes the Senior Center is truly a treasure and we assure the commission of our desire to cooperate with them in fulfilling its mission. Because the presentations that were made to this commission and to the city council regarding the senior center contained many suggestions and ideas that we feel would benefit the Senior Center, I have collected together a packet of the presentations that were made by our as hoc committee, in case some of your committees would find them useful to refer to. Motion: to accept the documents presented by Betty McKray and distribute them in the June Commission packet, Motion carried on a vote of 7-0,Kelly/Monsanto, MINUTES Final/Approved SENIOR CENTER COMMISSION TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2003 NUTRITION PROGRAM LEASE UPDATE No update at this time. PLANNING FOR CHANGE UPDATE- Rowley The Planning for Change document was accepted by the City Council without amendment. DISCUSSION OF SENIOR CENTER COMMISSION COMPOSITION- Honohan Honohan reported that in a conversation he had with Supervisor Carol Thompson, she said it was her understanding that since the Board of Supervisors cancelled the 28E Agreement they would no longer be entitled to county appointed representation on the Commission. Honohan suggested the following elements be included in a recommendation to the City Council for a formal resolution restructuring the composition of the Senior Center Commission: 1. Reduce the Commission to 7 members appointed by the City Council. These appointees would be residents of Iowa City and voting members of the Commission. 2. The 7 member Commission establishes and appoints a new three member advisory committee comprised of people who live in Johnson County, but outside of Iowa City. Members of this advisory committee would be ex-officio members of the Commission who would attend meetings and participate in discussion, but have no vote. He recommended that the first year ex-officio members would include current county appointees Schintler, Cassedy and Hora. This recommendation should be made to the city council in June of this year. Kelly suggested that Honohan's recommendation might be premature and suggested that a good initial step would be for the Commission to ask the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, both in writing and verbally, whether they would like to have representation on the Senior Center Commission or not. After much discussion it was agreed that Honohan would go to the June meeting of the Board of Supervisors to report on the Planning for Change Document and to ask them if they would be interested in creating a new 28E Agreement. If the Board of Supervisors is not interested in creating a new 28E Agreement, then the Commission will develop a recommendation regarding membership of the Commission and submit it to the City Council for consideration as a formal resolution. VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION UPDATE- Benz The 2003 Volunteer Recognition Breakfast will be held on June 27, 2003 from 7:30- 10:30 AM. This year's event will be a pancake breakfast with both Commission and Staff serving the volunteers. A trio from West High tentatively has agreed to perform at the event. Senior Center memberships and parking permits will be given away as door prizes during the program. MINUTES Final/Approved SENIOR CENTER COMMISSION TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2003 SENIOR CENTER UPDATE Operations- Kopping Kopping distributed copies of recommendations for subsidized memberships, parking permits and scholarships for discussion. Kopping reported that the Senior Center already has two programs that offer subsidies to Iow income people, the scholarship and parking permit programs. She presented the commission with a recommendation using the same eligibility criteria for all three programs rather than having separate criteria for each (See attached document). The commission reviewed and discussed these recommendations. Walker stated that people receiving SSI might need additional financial support because their income level is extremely Iow. In addition, some middle range income people have very high medical expenses and may need further assistance as well. McKray stated that she thought the guidelines covered most everything. The Commission may consider inviting businesses to pay the full membership price to cover Iow-income participants. Motion: To approve the Iow-income subsidy policy recommendations and fee schedules for the Center's parking, membership and scholarship programs. Motion carried on a vote of 7-0. Kelly/Hora Kopping outlined tentative plans for membership registration. She noted that the goal is to make membership registration as easy as possible and asked for approval to expand membership benefits to include 1. Access to the freestanding exercise equipment room Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, Sunday and select holidays from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 2. Quick and easy check in procedure. 3. Calendars distributed at time of sign-up. In order to facilitate the check in process, computerized proximity cards will be used as membership cards. Senior Center members will come into the Center and run their card in front of a reader located near one of the primary entrances to the building. This will provide a computer-generated list of the time of day and who is using the building. Currently the part-time temporary receptionists tally the sign-in sheets, which is a very time consuming process. Proximity cards can be programmed to allow access to specific (limited) areas of the building during specific times. In order to use the proximity cards the Center will need to purchase some additional equipment. A timed lock on the fitness room door and proximity card readers will need to be installed at the Linn and Washington Street entrances. The estimated cost for this equipment is $1778.00. The proximity cards are around $2.25 each. In anticipation that everyone currently enrolled as members of the Center would purchase a membership the total cost for cards would come to $5625.00. Because of the cost, members will be assessed a charge of $5.00 to replace lost or stolen cards. MINUTES Final/Approved SENIOR CENTER COMMISSION TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2003 Non members and guests will still need to sign-in as they have in the past. Kelly questioned the safety of the people using the fitness equipment during the expanded hours. Kopping replied that people will sign a Release of Liability form as part of the membership process. There will be a staff person in the building to look into this room periodically. Insofar as the actual registration process is concerned, Kopping indicated that the staff had tentatively settled on the following plan: 1. Registrants will go to the Program Specialist, Coordinator or Volunteer Specialist to register. Specific hours and days for registration wil~ be established annually. 2. Each registrant will be asked about eligibility for Iow-income subsidies for membership and parking. Subsidies for membership and parking will be offered if appropriate. 3.Membership information and parking permit sales will be entered into database. 4. The Program Specialist, Coordinator or Volunteer Specialist can take cash and checks. Credit card transactions must take place with Senior Clerk Typist. 5. Receipts will be taken to Senior Clerk Typist and the proximity card will be ~abe~ed and issued to each registrant. To encourage people to register the staff is developing a packet of information and promotional material including a bag, pen, list of membership benefits, contribution information, and registration material These packets will be distributed widely. Document Services is assisting in the development of this material. Staff is working on developing a plan to implement the changes in programming by September. Staff is also looking into the possibility of developing a new volunteer program that would provide transportation to people who are not eligible for SEATS program, but have difficulty using public transportation. This would be similar to several very successful programs that have been set-up in other communities. These programs are sometimes eligible to receive funding to support the program and staff. Staff is also exploring the possibility of setting up a coffee shop in the Center with Diane Flemming, Nutrition Director. Finally, staff is investigating modifications the parking validation program that might reduce the workload at the receptionist's desk. Motion: To approve spending up to $15,000 of gift fund money to purchase promotional items and additional access readers and proximity cards. In the event that the membership drive is successful, the gift fund will be reimbursed for this expense. Hora/Rowley Motion carried on a vote of 5-2. Kelly/Casserly opposed. Casserly suggested that the Commission consider setting some goals for membership and donation amounts, which can be reported on a regular basis. Casserly agreed to come up with some goals to present at the June Commission meeting. Programs- Seal Julie reported on events during June. See the Post for a full listing of programs in June. MINUTES Final/Approved SENIOR CENTER COMMISSION TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2003 Volunteers- Rogusky Susan reported on summer classes for the Center of Learning. There has been more press for the Center for Learning this semester resulting in new people to the program. Rogusky is also working on the year-end reports for the volunteer recognition program. REPORTS FROM APRIL COMMISSION VISITS City Council - Honohan Honohan reported that the City Council approved the Planning for Change document. Board of Supervisors-Casserly Cassedy reported to the Board of Supervisors and gave the supervisors a copy of the Post. COMMISSION DISCUSSION Kelly is writing the article for the June Post. Honohan plans to attend the Board of Supervisors meeting. There was no one available to attend the City Council this month. Motion to adjourn. Motion carried on a vote of 7-0. Monsanto/Rowley